


The Case of The Liar and The Whistleblower

by The_Snarkivist



Category: Torchwood
Genre: AU: Private Investigators, BAMF Ianto, BAMF Toshiko Sato, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Ianto & Tosh bffs, Ianto Jones & Toshiko Sato Friendship, M/M, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, canon-typical eye rolling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:54:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27067474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Snarkivist/pseuds/The_Snarkivist
Summary: “I’m so sorry Yan, I know it’s been stressful, money-wise.  But it just takes so long to establish yourself as a business.  No one knows us.  We’ve only done a few cases. They don’t know how awesome we are yet.”“Oooh, that’s a good tagline for us,” Ianto said sarcastically, “Sato & Jones Investigations:  You Don’t Know How Awesome We Are Yet”.___________________In which Tosh and Ianto are private detectives.
Relationships: Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Ianto Jones & Toshiko Sato, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Owen Harper/Toshiko Sato
Comments: 12
Kudos: 54





	1. Sato & Jones Investigations

**Author's Note:**

> This story is completely finished but I'm posting chapter by chapter because proofreading is time consuming and I'm bad at it. 
> 
> It's a Private Investigator AU but set in modern day. 
> 
> There are quotes from Torchwood/Doctor Who but I didn't put them in italics cuz that would make the text weird.

Ianto sat at his desk sipping a cup of coffee. It was really good coffee. Ianto frowned. They were almost out. And if they didn't get a new case soon, preferably a high paying case, Ianto wouldn't be able to afford the 100% arabica beans and would have to go for cheaper inferior ones. 

He could deal with keeping the heat low, keeping half the lights off, sleeping on an uncomfortable Murphy bed in the conference room to save money on rent, but he drew the line at drinking bad coffee. 

There was a rattle at the door. Ianto stood up alarmed until he saw Tosh's silhouette in the frosted glass of the front door window. The lock always stuck. They had planned to install an electronic keycard lock system when they got more cases. 

"Oooh, I need some of your miracle coffee right now!" Tosh said as she rushed in and headed to the kitchen nook. 

“We’re almost out, Tosh. Can you dig up a rich client who wants us to follow their cheating spouse or a juicy insurance fraud surveillance gig?” 

Tosh appeared out of the kitchen nook with her coffee. 

“I’m so sorry Yan, I know it’s been stressful, money-wise. But it just takes so long to establish yourself as a business. No one knows us. We’ve only done a few cases. They don’t know how awesome we are yet.” 

“Oooh, that’s a good tagline for us,” Ianto said sarcastically, “Sato & Jones Investigations: You Don’t Know How Awesome We Are Yet”. 

“Ha ha.” Tosh shot back. 

“Remind me again why we didn’t open a coffee shop instead?” Ianto complained. 

“Because what would I do? Oh, what about this for a tagline, “Sato & Jones Investigations: Come for the superior detective skills, stay for Ianto’s miracle coffee.” 

“Hmmm, might take up too much space in the ad. We have to pay by the word you know?” 

Tosh sighed as she sat down at her desk. "I'm so sick of just scraping by. Eloise decided to have a party last night, I barely got any sleep. I hate having five roommates."

"I know, it really sucks. But could be worse, we could still be in London." 

"That's true." 

Tosh had worked in the IT department for MI5 and Ianto had worked as a records manager and archivist at Torchwood Barristers and Solicitors. They had met because they went to the same coffee shop. Their mutual hatred of their jobs had made them fast friends. 

They had spent numerous coffee breaks dreaming about starting their own detective firm. Ianto had picked up a lot of legal knowledge and had a preternatural ability to get people to tell him things and Tosh was an expert in online surveillance and just about anything to do with tech and computers. 

It was just an idle dream to pass the time. But then Tosh got transferred to Bristol and then was fired (she wouldn't tell Ianto what happened). That was around the same time that all those things went down at Torchwood with the Canary Wharf redevelopment scandal and Ianto decided to head home to Cardiff. So they both found themselves nearby each other and at loose ends. And that's when Sato & Jones Investigations was born. 

Ianto was poor and miserable now but he would sooner live on the street than go back to the way things were in London. 

Tosh booted up her computer. 

"Oh, today is garbage day, did the trucks wake you up again?" 

Ianto sighed, "ugh they are so loud. I don't understand why they have to start the city's garbage route in this neighbourhood, at 3:30 in the morning." 

Just then the phone rang. 

"Sato & Jones Investigations, Toshiko speaking. How can I help you?" 

"Yes, we do insurance investigation." Tosh gave Ianto a thumbs up. "Of course, I would be happy to come meet with you and explain what we can do. What's your address? Ok. I do have some time this afternoon. Sure, 2 o'clock would be perfect. Yes. Yes, ok, I will ask for you when I get there. Thank you and I look forward to meeting with you." 

Tosh hung up the phone, "wooo hooo" she crowed. 

"Is it a good one?" 

"Hardwood Lorries need some absenteeism/ insurance fraud investigated. Sounds like it might pay decently and I can probably do all the work online!" 

"Look at you?! Getting us high paying clients." 

***************

Ianto was in the middle of trying to design some new ads for Sato & Jones when he heard a knock on the door. He wondered if Tosh had forgotten her key in her excitement. But that wasn’t it, it was about five after two and there is no way, even if her meeting got cancelled that she’d be back. The company was on the outskirts of town. 

He looked over to the door and saw a tall masculine silhouette in the window. Definitely not Tosh then. He quickly went to open the door and had to repress a gasp at what he saw. Standing there was - without a word of exaggeration - the most gorgeous man that Ianto had ever seen in his life. 

He was tall with brown hair and glowing blue eyes. He was weirdly wearing a vintage RCF coat, which, Ianto couldn’t help but notice, really complimented his figure. He wore blue trousers held up by suspenders and a lighter blue shirt underneath. He was wearing some sort of cologne that was absolutely intoxicating. He took Ianto’s breath away. 

“Oh hello.” The man said in an American accent, his eyes twinkled. “I do hope you can help me.” 

Ianto snapped out of his reverie. “Oh, yes, of course. Please come in. We can meet in the boardroom.” 

He showed the man into the conference room. It was a bit awkward, he considered, inviting this incredibly attractive man into what was essentially his bedroom. 

“Can I get you some coffee, sir?” 

“Well, if the coffee I am smelling is the coffee on offer, I would love a cup.” 

Ianto scurried to the kitchen nook to pour some of the coffee he had just made to fight his mid-afternoon slump. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. 

“Get it together Jones.” He thought to himself. 

Ianto had known for quite some time that he was bisexual but so far he had only dated women. He wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality. But he never talked about it because he hadn’t needed to. But it was all he could do to not throw this man on to the board room table and start ripping his clothes off. 

But Ianto was nothing if not a consummate professional. Clients were off limits. It was messy and never went anywhere good to get involved with someone who was paying your salary. 

He pulled himself together and took the mug of coffee along with creamers and sugar to the board room. 

He handed the man a mug and sat at the table. 

“How can we help you?” Ianto asked. 

The man was taking a sip of the coffee. 

“Oh my goodness! This is good coffee.” He smiled at Ianto. Ianto tried to keep his face neutral though inside he was melting into the carpet. 

“Thank you.” 

“I’ve had a day. I’m just going to enjoy this coffee for a moment. If that’s okay?” The man said. 

He sipped more coffee and closed his eyes and threw his head back and moaned. 

Ianto’s pants were getting tighter and he was starting to think that perhaps this man was doing   
this on purpose. He was annoyed. Still incredibly turned on, but annoyed. 

He drew doodles in his notebook whilst he waited for the man to finish his moment with the coffee. 

Finally the man put the mug down and smiled sheepishly. “I do apologize I really can’t tell you how much I needed that. I have had a very frustrating day.” 

“I am so sorry to hear that, sir. Why don’t you give me some background and I will see how we can help you.” 

“Oh please, no sirs, my name is Jack.” He held a hand out. “I should have introduced myself sooner. Jack Harkness.” 

Ianto shook his hand and nearly swooned. The warm heat of his hand did some things to Ianto. 

“And you are?” He said watching Ianto. “I mean, besides utterly gorgeous.” 

Ianto blushed. 

“Jones, uh, Ianto Jones.” 

Jack smiled a very seductive smile. “Ah, nice to meet you, Jones, Ianto Jones. Am I right in assuming that you’re the Jones in Sato & Jones?” 

“The very one.” Ianto replied. “My partner Toshiko is out on another case right now.” 

“When you say ‘partner’,” Jack raised an eyebrow. “how disappointed should I be?” 

Ianto blushed even harder. This was getting ridiculous. 

"As much as I am enjoying this conversation, Mr. Harkness, I am sure you didn't come here just to flirt with me. Why don't you tell me about what brought you here?"

Jack smiled. It was a predatory expression, there was something menacingly feline about him. 

"Do not trust this man!" Ianto wrote in his notebook and then underlined it for emphasis. 

"Yes, well to get straight to the point, I am throwing myself upon your mercy because I believe I am being framed." 

"Framed for what?" Ianto asked.

"Murder."

"Oh!" Ianto looked up from his notes at Jack. 

"I said framed, so, you know, I didn't do it."

"I am aware of what the word framed means."

"Just, I saw a look of alarm darken those gorgeous blue eyes of yours so I thought I should explain." 

"Being framed for murder is alarming, Mr. Harkness." 

"Well of course. But committing murder is worse. So I just wanted to make it clear."

"Thanks for clearing that up." 

"You're welcome!"

"Why don't you start from the beginning, build me a picture of what happened?" 

"Alright. I got a call from a friend who said he was out of town on business. And he said he was worried about his cousin. Hadn't heard from him in awhile. And it had just been his birthday and they always talked on his birthday. But this time no answer, no response to his texts or to his voice mails. So he asked me to go check on him, the cousin, that is. He gave me the address. I go there. And the door to his apartment is open. So I, and this was stupid, I should have called the cops or something. I go in to investigate. I hear a noise behind me. Then bam! Next thing I know I'm face first on the carpet. Someone had knocked me out from behind." 

"So you didn't see their face?" 

"Exactly. So I come to, and then I see the body. It wasn't there when I first came in. But there's a body with multiple stab wounds right in front of me. So completely not thinking, I turn the body over and feel for a pulse. There isn't one but now his blood is all over me. And that's when the cops burst in." 

Ianto nodded as he finished writing. 

"This was when?" 

"Last night."

"So how is it that you are here right now talking to me, and not still in lockup." 

"I have an expensive lawyer." 

"Then why aren't they here briefing me? It's a bit irregular for the defendants to arrange the PI themselves." 

Jack sighed. "My lawyer thinks he can establish reasonable doubt through my lack of a motive and lack of priors." 

"You don't agree?"

"Well, I haven't ever killed anyone if that's what you're asking. But, well… I do have some priors."

"And those are…" 

"Fraud basically." Suddenly Jack leaned forward towards Ianto. "But I swear to you! I am a changed man. That's not who I am anymore. I have done bad things in the past. But now I am on the up and up." 

"Just out of curiosity, what is it you do for a living, Jack?" 

"I work for an NGO - People Initiatives. It gives a second chance to people who have interacted with the carceral system. It's basically something to pass the time. I come from a rich family." 

Ianto nodded. He wondered why a man from a rich family needed to commit fraud but that could be a question for another day.

"Ok so I still don't get why you are here instead of your expensive lawyer."

Jack sighed again. 

"Well, I am glad I am here. Those gorgeous Welsh vowels of yours would be quite wasted on my lawyer. But we disagree on who the culprit is. I have no proof that he's doing it. And my lawyer thinks he's not worth looking at. My lawyer is expensive but very lazy. He's over confident about his abilities to charm the court and argue circles around the prosecution."

"And you are under confident?"

"Oh, no, he's good. I have no doubt he could get me off. But, well, I am also quite confident about your ability to get me off."

Ianto, predictably, blushed. 

"What I really mean is that it's one thing for me to be declared innocent. But the murderer and the person who framed me (which I am guessing are one and the same) are still out there. And who knows what they will do to me next."

"Makes sense. Ok, I need a list of all of your friends, including - especially - the one who called you. Wait, was his cousin the victim then?" 

"Yes, his name is Jonah Bevan." 

"And your friend?" 

"John Hart. That's H A R T - like the deer. Maybe you've heard of him? He runs Hart Industries. He founded it. They make surveillance tech." 

"Ok, and…" 

"I should probably tell you something else…"

"Yes?" 

"John is my ex. We were together for five years. Also, and this probably goes without saying, he's a violent, narcissistic psychopath. But he's well connected so therefore even more dangerous." 

Ianto scratched the back of his head. This case was making him itchy already.

"Noted, thank you. So why would Hart want to frame you? And does he have a motive for killing his cousin?" 

"If I knew that I would have an easier time getting my lawyer to look into it. I have no idea why he murdered his cousin. But as for framing me, he had to pin it on someone. And he absolutely hates my guts."

"Why did you agree to check in on his cousin? I mean that you know he hates you. So weren’t you suspicious?"

"I thought he was over it. It was a long time ago that we were together. I've moved on. I thought it would be a nice show of goodwill that would open up the possibility of a friendship. I now see how idiotic that was."

"Alright, I see. Who else is there that I should talk to?"

Jack gave him a short list of names. And Ianto broke down their fee structure and drew up a contract. 

"We will start looking around and I will be in touch in a day or two. I may have some additional questions." Ianto said as he walked Jack to the door. 

"Thank you so much Ianto. I eagerly await hearing from you, and not just because your voice does… things… to me." 

Ianto didn't even blush this time. Jack's flirting was so over the top there was no way he meant it. It seemed like a self defense mechanism against anyone getting to know him. 

Ianto closed and locked the door after Jack left. He went back to his computer and started typing up his notes. 

He wasn't sure why he agreed to this case. He doubted Jack was telling the truth about most of it. This was going to be messy. 

He was going to need to get Tosh to dig up all the information about Jack that the mysterious man was leaving out before he continued.


	2. Background Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So what you are saying is: we, specifically me, are about to get played? Or are in danger of that? But like, played for the right reasons?" 
> 
> ********* 
> 
> Tosh reports on the background info she's dug up.

"Ah, ha!" Tosh called out. "I've got it! Captain Jack Harkness, aka Jack "the cat" Harkness." 

"Hmmm, do you think they call him Jack "the cat" because of his sinewy feline grace and how he looks at you in that way like he is just about to pounce?" 

Tosh gave him a look.

"Uh, no… it's because he has this ability to get out of dangerous situations. He's survived things that most people don't." 

"Oh." Ianto said.

"You know, like how cats are said to have nine lives."

"Yes Tosh, I get the metaphor." 

"Really? You… Him…? Like, you would?" Tosh blushed. She was exactly as awkward and shy as Ianto.

"Yeah, I mean, have you seen him? I would." Then Ianto blushed. "Uh… that is if it weren't for the fact that he's a client. And completely untrustworthy. And probably using us."

"Hmmm, this is new, right? Talking about men's 'sinewy feline grace'. Or is it?" 

"Oh, yes. I… well, it's something I've known for a long time. But… I guess I hadn't met any men who I liked in that way. And then, you know, there was Lisa and…" 

Ianto stopped and turned to fiddle with something on his desk. 

"Oh, Ianto, I'm sorry." 

"No." Ianto turned back to face Tosh. "It was months and months ago now. I am putting it behind me." 

He probably wasn't over his ex-girlfriend. But he found it quite hard to get over it when right before his eyes someone he loved slowly turned into a monster who abandoned all her principles and all human decency to get ahead in her career. But he just didn't want to get into it. Even with his best friend.

Tosh smiled sympathetically. 

"Ok, so what else did you find about Jack?" 

"Right, well Jack isn't his real name. That name is Javic Piotr Thane. And you are right not to trust him. He's a suspected con artist. When he went by Javic he worked for a super secret organization called The Time Agency, high level espionage and that sort of thing. He went freelance and now he's said to run various cons. Using his, ugh, sinewy feline grace. Although, he does appear to have straightened out."

Ianto gave her a look.

“I mean, in terms of crime. He’s reportedly very pansexual. He works for an NGO but there’s whispers that he sees himself as some avenging angel who has to atone for all his past crimes. He’s freelanced with various groups to expose scandals and basically make the world safer for ordinary people. However, people are very critical of his methods. He’s still using all his con man tricks - he’s just on the right side this time.” 

"So what you are saying is: we, specifically me, are about to get played? Or are in danger of that? But like, played for the right reasons?" 

"Well, he may need our help? But there's no way he doesn't have an angle." 

"You're right. But he doesn't strike me as stupid or naive. There's no way he didn't do massive amounts of research on us before showing up here. He must know about Torchwood and the Canary Wharf redevelopment scandal and about your job. And it's maybe not a coincidence he came when you were off on another case." 

"He must have done a lot of research. He knew you were bi, I didn't even know that." 

"I don't know. I haven't told anyone except you." 

"Good gaydar." Tosh said aloud as she made an exaggerated show of typing it into her notes for Jack. 

Ianto rolled his eyes.

"But you're right. He came to us for a reason. We need to figure out what that is. My money is on some sort of crimes committed by the higher ups at Hart Industries. What about this ex of his? John Hart?"

"John Hart isn't his real name either but I couldn't dig up what that is. Believe me, I tried. Anyway, Jack wasn't lying about him being bad news. He's got a long list of very carefully covered up priors. Things like assault, assault with a deadly weapon, intimidation, blackmail. There's whispers of murders in there too but nothing sticks to him."

"Great. He seems very obvious. Why isn't the lawyer trying to establish him as the credible murderer? What else is going on?"

"Indeed. So let me back up. He also worked for this Time Agency place. That's how they met. They were partners in both senses of the word. He left it several years after Jack when the agency disbanded. He must have gotten a great payout because he moved from that to found Hart Industries. He's apparently made a lot of friends in high places through the company. Or, he's got a shit ton of dirt on everybody. Because apparently his personality is so obnoxious a lot of people doubt his ability to make friends."

"Hmmm running a surveillance tech company would seem to be evidence of the latter. Okay, so he’s protected. So why does Jack think we - a new and upstart PI firm - will get the dirt on Hart when his own ridiculously high powered lawyer won’t touch it?” 

“Because he thinks we can fly under the radar? Get info without spooking Hart?” 

“Or he thinks we’re expendable.” Ianto grumbled. 

He was now feeling humiliated that he had been so attracted to Jack. The over-the-top-ness of the flirtation was Jack turning on the charm to seduce Ianto so he would take the case and waltz into whatever danger lay ahead. 

"Well, I better go talk to some of the people on this list. We’ll leave Hart till later. Also, maybe Gwen or Rhys might be willing to talk to me. Can you look into the murder? Maybe go pay your grumpy boyfriend a visit?"

"Yan, he is not my boyfriend!! He totally doesn't even see me in that way. It's only because I bribe him with *your* coffee that he tells us anything."

"Mmmhmm, and do you remember the time I tried to get information from him, that first case we did about the missing ancient dagger? I walked out of the coroner's office wearing the coffee. And coffee is not fun to get out of suits, let me tell you. But I do know that man is a holy terror to everyone except you. He’s done right cuddly with you. He has got it BAD for you, my friend!"

Tosh blushed deeply. 

"Alright, I'll go talk to Owen. He's on the early shift so I will go tomorrow."

Ianto raised an eyebrow at her. "You know his schedule, do you? Interesting." 

Tosh blushed. 

"By the way, Ianto. It's ok, I mean, I am happy you told me about the bisexual thing. I am proud of you." She paused. "I am bi too, you know?" She said quietly.

"Oh?" Ianto smiled. "Thanks for telling me, T. Sometimes I think we are almost the same person." 

They both blushed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Gathering Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tosh held up the thermos shyly and said, "I brought you some of Ianto's special blend." 
> 
> "Oh, so you didn't just come to see me, you want something." He grumped.
> 
> Tosh smiled awkwardly. "Can't it be both?" 
> 
> ________________
> 
> Tosh and Ianto talk to their law enforcement contacts

Tosh gripped a thermos containing some of Ianto's magic coffee. She had no idea what he did to it to make it taste so delicious. 

She stopped at the main desk to ask for Owen.

The receptionist notified him and told Tosh to wait. It was only a few moments before an angular skinny man in a lab coat came to meet her. 

"Toshy! Good to see you! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" 

Tosh held up the thermos shyly and said, "I brought you some of Ianto's special blend." 

"Oh, so you didn't just come to see me, you want something." He grumped.

Tosh smiled awkwardly. "Can't it be both?" 

"Alright well come through to the morgue and let me know what you want. On a morning like this I am not above being bribed with Tea-boy's finest." 

She was going to point out to Owen that Ianto did much more at their agency than make the tea but didn't want to further annoy him. 

Owen led her to his office. 

"Alright, give it here, luv." He held a hand out. 

She gave him the thermos. He poured a cup and sipped it with obvious pleasure. 

"I don't get how someone so boring makes such great coffee." 

"Owen! Come on." 

When he finished the cup he said, "Alright. I have enjoyed the coffee. What case are you meddling in today?"

"I want to know about a murder victim, a Jonah Bevan?"

"Oh yeah came in the other day. Multiple stab wounds. The bleeder. Glad I don't do crime scene clean up."

"What do you mean?"

"I just started my shift when they called me in. It was intense. Way more blood than you would think for one person. Way more blood then you would like for two people even!"

"But it was all his?" 

"Lab tests haven't come back yet. But there was only one body. And it wasn't a knife fight. The assailant was found on scene, covered in blood but not a scratch so it wasn't his own blood." 

"The suspect is denying it though. Any chance he just stumbled across the body?"

"Did the defense hire you?"

"Owen, you know I can't reveal who my clients are."

Owen looked annoyed. "There was a lot of blood on him. It seems a bit far fetched. But like I said, lab hasn't returned all our tests yet. But you, Occam's razor, if a guy is found on scene, covered in blood with his prints on the murder weapon, he's probably the killer." .

This didn't look good for Ianto's new crush. Tosh was sad about that. Ianto had been so beaten down since his breakup with Lisa. She really wanted him to find someone who made him feel special. It would be preferable if that someone wasn't a murderer. 

"Yes, I can see that. Do you know the time of death?" 

“Not yet.” 

“Okay. Thanks.” Tosh smiled at him. He was so cute when he was grumpy. And happy. And just about any other emotion. 

"So how's the detective biz going these days, anyway?" 

"Oh, we're still struggling. We've only had a few cases. I did catch a nice case yesterday - insurance fraud. Nice and simple. Doesn't pay that much but it will cover our rent." 

"That's a girl! I know you can do it. Is tea-boy pulling his weight?"

Tosh sighed. "Ianto is an equal partner in this. He does loads." 

"Does loads boringly." 

"Owen, why do you hate him so much?" 

"I don't hate him! I just think you got all the charisma in the partnership. Anyway, he's too dull to talk about. I can let you in on the results for the lab when they come in. I should know the time of death then too. Should be… tomorrow. By the end of the day." 

"Sounds good! Thanks I owe you, Owen!!!" Tosh turned to go.

"Wait, Tosh? You could, you know, maybe buy me dinner to thank me? Say tomorrow, when I get the lab results?"

Tosh froze, her heart started racing. Was Ianto right about what Owen thought of her? 

"... Or, well never mind. I know you're busy and…" 

Tosh spun around. Owen looked strangely vulnerable. 

"I'd love to! That would be great!!" Tosh enthused. 

A great big smile appeared on Owen's face. 

"Great, we can eat whilst I tell you all the disgusting details of the case." 

He laughed. 

"Ha! Sure! Ok, well, it's a date! Talk to you tomorrow!"

"I mean, date, don't get ahead of yourself." Owen said as Tosh walked off. 

***

Ianto leaned on the police cruiser with a coffee cup in each hand. 

“Oh, honey, look who’s come to bribe us with coffee!” Said the black haired woman smiling as she saw Ianto leaning on the car. The man beside her laughed.

“Gwen! Rhys! How’s it going? I figured you were getting sick of that swill they serve in the station house. So I brought you some coffee to brighten your day.” 

“Alright, what do you want?” Gwen said, reaching for one of the coffees.

Ianto held it up out of her grasp. “Nope, information first!” 

Gwen sighed. “Ugh you drive a hard bargain, Mr. Jones.” 

Ianto laughed. 

“What can you tell me about the murder of Jonah Bevan?” 

“That it’s an on-going case.” Gwen retorted.

“This coffee is on-going,” Ianto shot back, “on-going out of the parking lot and back to my office.” 

Gwen laughed. “Fine. It seems pretty open and shut. Guy was murdered. Multiple stab wounds. Police came in and found the assailant leaning over the victim covered in the victim’s blood.” Gwen reached for the coffee.

“I have some questions.” Ianto still held it up away from her. She pouted. Rhys started laughing again. 

“Who called the police? How did they know to show up at that exact time? What’s the assailant’s motive?”

“Oh look who’s a copper now.” Rhys commented. 

“These are basic questions.” 

“Anonymous call to the police.” Gwen answered. “You working for the defense?” 

“You know I can’t tell you who I’m working for. You didn’t bring me lasagna.” Ianto handed both of them the coffee cups. 

“Mmmmm, tastes like bribery.” Gwen said as she sipped her coffee. “Sweet, sweet bribery.” 

“What do you think of the suspect?” 

“Oh, he’s cute!” Gwen chirped, smiling her gap tooth smile.

“Gwen! I’m standing right here!” Rhys protested. 

“Awww Rhys, you know you’re my only. But that doesn’t make him any less hot.” 

“Anyway, he’s too charming and flirty.” Rhys said. 

Ianto nodded. That confirmed what he suspected, Jack wasn’t just hitting on him, he was like that with everyone. 

“Oh Rhys, just because the man likes to flirt, doesn’t mean he did it.” 

“No. But the fact that he was found leaning over a dead man and his prints were on the knife does suggest that.” 

“Well, now not saying the Cardiff PD has an opinion either way about his guilt or innocence.” Gwen started. “But I have to say, it’s all a little *too* neat. If you know what I mean.” 

“Gwen! This isn’t a cop show on ITV! Usually, in police work, the most likely suspect is actually the perpetrator.

“I dunno. I got a feeling about this one. He’s completely untrustworthy. Would never turn my back on him and would always check my pockets for valuables after I spent time near him. But is he a murderer? I dunno, I didn’t get that vibe. What about you Yan? And no, that’s not a trap, let’s just be adults and admit that the only way you’re here bribing us with coffee is that you met him and you’re working for someone on his side.”

Gwen always impressed Ianto with her police work. She was incredibly smart and very observant. She thought about things and didn’t just round up the usual suspects so she could make it home in time for Rhys to cook his amazing lasagna. Rhys was solid and kind but he was more like a less perceptive Watson to her Sherlock. Gwen also seemed to value Ianto’s opinions on cases, that was the real reason she was talking to him, not the coffee. 

“I agree. Wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him but I don't think he's a murderer either. Do you have an alternate theory? Who was Jonah Bevan anyway?" 

"He was just a guy. He worked in research and development at Hart Industries. He was an engineer. The owner, John Hart, was his cousin. I don't think they were particular friends. You must have heard Harkness's explanation, that Hart asked him to check on Bevan? Harkness said they were close enough for Hart to worry when his birthday call wasn't acknowledged. But Hart denies any such call took place. Said he’s barely talked to his cousin since he was hired." 

"Well, I could believe that. It doesn't add up. Jack said Hart hated him. I have only met Jack once but he strikes me as too smart to fall for that kind of set up. There's something he's not telling us. I want to know why." 

Gwen raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, Jack is it? Are you on a first name basis with him?" 

Ianto tried hard not to blush. Of course Gwen would pick up on this. 

"Thanks for the info. I gotta get back to the office." Ianto said as he tried to dodge Gwen's questioning look. 

"Thanks for the coffee, Ianto" Gwen called after him as he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Interviews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hated interviewing grieving partners. It made him feel so slimy, like he was manipulating them. He knew what grief was like and knew how out of control it made people. It didn't seem right to use that to get information.
> 
> **************  
> Ianto investigates further and gets some information about the mysterious Jack from Jack's friend Martha.

Ianto shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hated interviewing grieving partners. It made him feel so slimy, like he was manipulating them. He knew what grief was like and knew how out of control it made people. It didn't seem right to use that to get information. And yet here he was sitting in the immaculate sitting room of Carys Fletcher. Though she had broken up with Jonah a few weeks before his untimely death, she was grieving pretty hard. 

"I just keep thinking…" she sniffed, "if only I had had more patience with him. If only I had stayed… He would have been alive." 

"You can't know that." Ianto said, he hoped, comfortingly as he handed her a tissue. 

"Oh I do! He was going all paranoid before he died. He said 'they' were watching him. Whoever they are. He barely went out. Do you know he got fired from his job a week before he died? He was talking such nonsense about these people who were out to get him. Kept talking about men in leather jackets. And how they were mad at him for what he did. Said that they were going to steal his brain or something. It was utter rot, the man needed a psychiatrist. If I had stayed, I would have gotten him the help he needed. But I couldn't - his behaviour was so erratic. I had to get a new cell phone three times in a month because he would take mine and throw it in the toilet."

She paused to dab her eyes. 

"At the time, I thought it was controlling and abusive behaviour. But…" she broke down again. "Now I know. He just needed help and I failed him. I failed him."

"I am so sorry for your loss, Ms. Fletcher. But it appears that Jonah was murdered."

"Oh, I don't believe that. I think this Harkness man was acting in self defense. Jonah probably came at him with a knife. He probably thought he was one of those men he always talked about following him trying to get their whatever back. Jonah was in such an altered state. He wouldn't have stopped coming till he or his opponent were dead. I think John probably sent Harkness to check up on Jonah. And Jonah thought it was one of the demons that he said were following him. If only I had been there to stop him attacking that man."

“That’s possible. But what if... What if there was actually something happening? And Jonah wasn’t completely paranoid. Do you think that is possible?” 

“No!” Carys looked afraid as her eyes roamed around the room. “Absolutely not. How dare you! How dare you *say* that! He was definitely not asking too many questions at work or spending all his time researching things. It was purely a mental health issue. Completely paranoid. He wasn’t being threatened by men in leather jackets or anything like that.” 

Ianto asked a few more questions but got the sense that they were being listened to and Carys had put herself in enough danger. She’d told him a lot. Her grief for Jonah was authentic, she must have loved him a great deal. But she had to pretend he had been crazy to protect herself. Ianto’s heart broke for her. He became even more determined to get to the bottom of this. 

************

Ianto looked around the waiting room of Smith & Jones Barristers and Solicitors. It had a minimalist and classy elegance. Martha Jones was one of the partners and Jack had listed her as one of his best friends. 

Ianto probably should have prioritized talking to people who knew Jonah or knew about Hart Industries. But he had so many confusing thoughts and feelings about Jack so he’d chosen Martha to talk to next. There was so much he wasn’t getting. Why was Jack lying? Whose side was Jack on? Did Jack know what was happening at Hart Industries? 

Ianto had also wondered, with a whiff of jealousy, if friend had meant 'friend'. He sighed internally, “really?” He thought to himself. This was ridiculous. Jack was a client, a liar, and a huge flirt. He tried to remind himself that he had been taken in by a con man who was using or attempting to use, him and Tosh. Jack only complimented him to get something. 

He was going to have to watch that ridiculously good looking man, with his feline grace and his sparkling blue eyes, from afar and keep himself and his heart safe. Especially because the scent of Jack's cologne made Ianto want to throw him up against a wall and have his way with him. He couldn’t stop himself from wondering if Jack tasted as good as he smelled. He’d done some of his own research into Jack and he also wondered If Jack’s reputation for being innovative - verging on the avant guarde - in bed had any truth to it. 

"Mr. Jones?" A good looking woman held out her hand to him.

Ianto startled and then got himself together and held his own hand out. 

"Martha Jones." She said as she shook his hand. 

"Ianto Jones - no relation!" He replied immediately regretting the joke. He felt weirdly nervous as if Martha would be reporting back to Jack and he wanted to impress her. 

"Jack told me you would be getting in touch. Come to my office. We can talk there."

Martha Jones's office had the same minimalist elegance as the waiting room. Ianto noted with some satisfaction a wedding picture that looked quite recent.

"How long have you known Jack?" Ianto asked when they had sat down.

"A couple of years. We used to both do freelance for a mutual friend at his NGO. That was an intense time. We were so idealistic, thought we could save the world. We spent a lot of time together fighting the good fight: Jack, our mutual friend John Galifrey, Mickey Smith, and I."

"Mickey Smith is the Smith in Smith & Jones?"

"That's right." She motioned to the wedding photo with a soft smile. "That's where we met and it was love at first sight."

It was really stupid how relieved Ianto was to hear and see Martha so obviously in love with Mickey.

"Do you know John Hart?"

"I never met him. I just know him from Jack's stories. Personally, I am glad I never met him. He sounds like a piece of work. I’m glad that Jack came to his senses after five years and ended that toxic relationship. Jack is much better than that, than who he was with Hart. I have seen Jack grow and change a lot since we first met. He was a much different person when he was with Hart. Galifrey knew him just after he got out of that relationship and he told me some stories. I'm sure you've looked into Jack’s background and I am sure he's told you he's a changed man. He's not lying." 

“Do you think John Hart is trying to frame him?”

“I think Hart is capable of that.”

Martha had a very friendly open face and for a moment Ianto forgot he was supposed to be questioning her. 

“From everything I have heard about him, I agree that he’s capable.” Ianto said. “But the thing that is sticking with me, and the reason I have doubts, is why? He and Jack broke up a very long time ago. I can see that Jack is an incredibly attractive and charismatic person. But is Hart still obsessed with him all these years later? Obsessed enough to want to ruin his life? That seems far fetched. So my thought is, what motive did Hart have to kill Jonah Bevan? Did Jonah find out something that he shouldn’t have about Hart Industries? I can see him needing someone to pin the murder on, but I can’t see him killing someone, his own cousin, just to get at an ex-boyfriend. Also, there are so many holes in this story.” 

He was definitely talking too much. 

“I can see why he hired you. You’re quick. He must love that. And actually, you strike me as his type. Has he been making a nuisance of himself with you?” 

Ianto couldn’t help blushing. 

Martha laughed. “Oh I see he has! I hope it isn’t, well, does it upset you?” 

“No of course not. Who doesn’t love a compliment? It’s just a little frustrating. The manipulation of it all. He’s already paying me to investigate, he doesn’t need to flirt with me so I’ll do my job. I’m a professional, I will do a good job regardless. He doesn’t have to pretend to like me that way.” 

“Oh he’s not pretending. Jack is a liar, it’s true. It takes someone really special to get to the real him. But his flirting isn’t a lie.” 

“Well, does it matter? Whether he actually believes all the over the top things he says, he’s saying them because he wants me to do something for him. If everything you say is true, there’s no way that he’d come to us just to clear his name. He’s got a lawyer for that. But he wants something else and I have no idea what that is. Sorry, I am supposed to be asking you questions, not venting about this case.” 

Martha smiled her warm smile. 

“No, it’s quite alright. I wish I had more answers for you. But oh, Jack must be quite taken with you! You’re smart and cute too. You’re right to be wary.” 

She leaned in conspiratorially, “Jack would be mad at me for telling you this but you seem very sweet so I’m going to say it. Jack is always on the right side. Ever since he started running with John Galifrey he’s only ever tried to make the world better. But, that doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous. He uses people and exposes them to incredible danger - usually without letting them know what the risks are.” 

She smiled rueflly. 

“He’s done it to me. The more he cares about you, the bigger the danger he trusts you with. He’s probably being flirty because what he actually wants - what he needs help with - it’s probably something big and quite dangerous. He’s trying to make up for the risk by offering something. He’s offering an ego boost, you know? Maybe he’s even offering himself. But not in a gross transactional way. But he’s offering his attention because you’re risking a lot.” 

She sighed. 

“You should know, he always saves the most danger for himself. But be very careful not everyone has nine lives like he does.” 

**********

Ianto dialed the number that Tosh had found for him for Jonah’s best friend and co-worker at Hart Industries. 

“Hello?” 

“Is this Eugene Jones?” 

“Who’s asking?” The man replied. 

“My name’s Ianto, I was hired to look into the death of Jonah Bevan. I understand he was your best friend? I’m very sorry for your loss. I wondered if I could ask you some questions?” 

“How did you get this number? I don’t know anything. Jonah was crazy and paranoid. I don’t have anything more to say.” With that the man hung up. 

Ianto called and had similar conversations with the other three friends of Jonah’s that Jack listed. He sighed and scratched the names off the list. They might talk to him in person. But judging by the fear in all of their voices, they probably wouldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Would love to hear what you think so far. These last two chapters had a lot of just expository dialogue which might have dragged a bit. I wasn't sure how to get around that. But the next chapters pick up the pace, I hope anyway. There's more Janto coming in the next chapter.


	5. Two Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto hung up the phone. He wasn't sure how that had happened but somehow he had a date with Jack Harkness. He had called Jack to set up an appointment ostensibly to go over what he had learned but actually he hoped to confront Jack about his lies. 
> 
> The appointment was supposed to happen at the office. But somehow Jack had wheedled him into agreeing to meet at the posh French place in town for a meal.
> 
> **********************
> 
> Tosh and Ianto both end up having dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some mild violence in this one.

Ianto hung up the phone. He wasn't sure how that had happened but somehow he had a date with Jack Harkness. He had called Jack to set up an appointment ostensibly to go over what he had learned but actually he hoped to confront Jack about his lies. 

The appointment was supposed to happen at the office. But somehow Jack had wheedled him into agreeing to meet at the posh French place in town for a meal.

"Was that what it sounded like?" Tosh asked in a bemused tone. She was just settling into work at her desk with a coffee in hand. 

"Somehow my attempt to schedule a meeting to question our client and get more clarity about the obvious lies he told me has turned into something that seems like... a date?” 

Tosh smiled at him. “Okay, I get that he’s a liar and probably dangerous and also, he’s our client so there’s some ethical stuff there. BUT… Would it be so bad if it was a date?” 

“I mean, yes! Because of the ethical stuff.” 

“But… Okay, I don’t think you should try to pursue a relationship with him because that would expose you to a lot of danger, and honestly I think you’re still a little fragile, emotionally after Lisa. But what’s wrong with letting someone buy you dinner and compliment you all evening? When was the last time, Ianto? For either of us? And I mean, we’re fun and good looking people. We’re interesting. Don’t we deserve to have someone appreciate us? Even if that someone is, well, questionable. Like untrustworthy or always grumpy or you know…”

“Toshiko Sato! We are not talking about me anymore are we?” 

Then Ianto noticed that Tosh was wearing a pretty pretty purple dress with a plunging neckline. 

“Wait, didn’t you say you had a meeting with Owen this evening to go over the lab results?” 

Tosh blushed. 

“So, he suggested we do it over dinner. And he kind of got all shy and vulnerable when he asked. So I said, ‘it’s a date’ and then he got all Owen-y and was like ‘don’t get ahead of yourself’.” 

“Both of which sound like ‘I like you’ in Owen.” 

“I had sort of thought so. And I thought about what you are always saying about him…”

“That he’s desperately in love with you but can’t find the words…” 

“Yes. And perhaps I did see that this time. Do you really think so?” 

“Are you doubting my perception skills? Or those of Gwen? That emotionally stunted boy is completely into you. Even Rhys saw it last time we all got together.” 

“Well, I guess we will see. This is exciting! Sato & Jones! Getting back into the dating scene!” 

“Oi! Speak for yourself. I’m updating our client on the progress of his case and trying to get him to stop lying to me.” 

***** 

Tosh fidgeted as she waited in the reception area of the Coroner’s Office. She assumed that all the receptionists recognized her by now but she felt awkward about it. 

She only waited for a few minutes before Owen - who had traded his traditional scrubs and white coat for a black leather jacket and tight jeans that really accentuated his angular beauty - came through the door. 

She waved shyly at him and smiled broadly at her. 

“Tosh! You look lovely! Where we’re going, it’s not that fancy of a place though. I don’t really do fancy, you know.” 

“No… I… It’s, oh, this? No, I dress like this all the time. It’s just, you know, ‘Just another Tuesday!’” 

“Alright. So,” he extended an arm to her in a jovial and faux old timey way, “shall we?” 

She took his arm, trying to slow her rapidly beating heart, and they walked to the restaurant. 

After they had ordered, she didn’t know where to look. 

“So, got the results.” 

“Oh?!” 

“Tosh,” he leaned in closer, “something weird is going on.” 

“What is it?” 

“I had a bad feeling about things. I don’t know if it was your questions yesterday or how some of the lab people were acting. But I didn’t like it. So I took samples from the victims' clothing. I found two different people’s blood. Like, the blood type isn’t even the same. But the lab results - which analyzed the blood on the carpet, on the ‘assailant’ and on the victim, all say it’s just the victim's blood.” 

“Oh no. Have you told anyone that you analyzed samples on your own?” 

“No, just you. I have the samples in my freezer at home. But I did ask some questions. There was A LOT of blood. I’m worried I raised some suspicions.” 

“Okay but don’t tell anyone else!” Tosh looked at him in panic. 

She was quite fine with danger for herself. And Ianto could handle anything. But she didn’t want to drag Owen into whatever this was. 

“Something is fishy. But, this… This means someone in power is in on it. But we don’t even know what it is.” 

“I would say that your guy is looking less and less guilty as time goes on.” 

“Could it be his blood? He told Ianto that they hit him over the head.” 

“But I heard that he didn’t have a scratch on him when he was arrested. How is that possible?” 

“I don’t know. Do you know what the time of death was?” 

“It was about 11 pm - give or take a few hours.” 

“Okay. Thanks.” 

They both sat back and stared at each other. 

“I’ve never unraveled a big cover up that goes all the way up before!” Owen said almost excitedly. 

“We haven’t unraveled it yet. Owen please be careful! One person is already dead, or maybe it's two. We don't know. And you know that the person Harkness suspects is trying to frame him is the head of a surveillance firm. They could be watching us." Tosh whispered. 

"I guess we'll just have to make this look like a real date then." Owen said as he leaned over and pulled Tosh into a kiss. 

She wasn't expecting his lips to be so soft or the kiss to be so gentle. And she certainly wasn’t expecting him to kiss her. 

"Oh!" She said as he broke the kiss. "Yes that was a good plan." She looked at him with starry eyes. 

He smiled his crooked grin at her. 

The server brought their hamburgers which broke the moment. 

Tosh suddenly felt embarrassed. She didn't know where to look. What if the kiss had been just for the benefit of the possible spying eyes? 

"So how …." 

"Have you…." 

They both started a sentence at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"I'm sorry. I made it awkward." Owen said as he looked at his plate. 

"No! Not at all! You made it wonderful." 

"Oh? Really? So… you didn't hate that?" 

"Oh no. I… You would have known if I hated it." Tosh laughed. "I would have pushed you off of me and onto your ass if I didn't want that to happen." 

Owen laughed. "That's my girl."

"But... I have wanted to do that for awhile."

Owen looked surprised. "I have too. But I thought you and … well nevermind. I am glad I did it then." 

The tension was broken and they chatted happily for the rest of the meal. 

After dinner they stood awkwardly outside of the restaurant. 

"I should probably go." Tosh said sadly. "I wasn't expecting this to go so well so I left all this work to do when I got home tonight. And I need to update Ianto."

Owen rolled his eyes when she said Ianto’s name. 

"S'alright." Owen said. "I'll see you again soon, yeah?" 

"Yes!" 

"Good night then." Owen turned to go. 

"Wait!" Tosh called. Owen turned around hopefully. "I mean, I think we should… like just in case they are still watching?"

Owen grinned and stepped closer to Tosh. She grabbed him by the lapel and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

As they separated Tosh whispered into Owen's ear. "I rigged up a frequency scanner. It notifies me if there's any surveillance tech. We're fine." 

Owen grinned at her.

*************

Jack was already there when Ianto arrived at the restaurant. 

He was even better looking than Ianto had remembered. He was wearing the same weird old fashioned clothing that he had worn the other day. When he saw Ianto his face lit up and he flashed a hundred watt smile at him. 

"Here you are." He said watching Ianto as he sat down. 

"Sorry I'm late."

"Oh, you're not late. I just got here early because I was excited to see you." 

Ianto was getting used to the flirtatious comments already and he was now able to roll his eyes instead of blush. 

"Alright." Ianto pulled out his notebook and pencil. "I have an update for you but I also have some questions." 

"Ooooh, I can't wait for you to interrogate me."

"Right. Basically my update is, everyone is lying. Especially you." 

"That's not really an update."

"You're right. I lied. There's no update. Just questions."

"Sneaky."

Ianto nodded. 

"Tosh checked your cell phone records. No record of a call between you and John Hart in the last year. So if he didn't ask you to check on his cousin, why were you there?" 

"Oh, you're good."

"That's not an answer. Also, there are two calls between you and Jonah Bevan in the last six months. The last was a few days before his girlfriend Carys left him because of his mental health issues. So, what the hell Jack? Why all the lies? Why am I spending more time investigating you and your phony story than who murdered poor Jonah Bevan and who framed you?"

"So you believe me that I was framed?"

"Yes, of course I do. Can you just answer one of my questions?" Ianto said with annoyance.

"So your "partner', she's good with tech, yes?" 

"She's the best."

"How is she at anti-surveillance tech?"

Ianto pulled out a small object that looked like a cell phone. 

"This is a frequency scanner. It monitors activity around me. If anything is bugged it will tell me."

Jack nodded, obviously impressed. 

"So it's safe for you to talk."

Jack sighed and looked weary. Ianto wondered if this was the first true emotion he'd seen from Jack.

"Jonah got very paranoid at the end. But then he was murdered so... was he wrong? He called me because he had something he needed to tell me. It was about something he found out about his work place. He said he had incontrovertible evidence. We were meeting for him to tell me and hand over the information because he didn't trust the phone or email."

"Carys didn't break up with him, did she? He sent her away to protect her."

"Now you're getting it. I knew I made the right choice coming to you two."

"Why couldn't you just tell me this from the start?" 

"I didn't know if I could trust you, did I?"

"So all the 'investigating' I have been doing in the last few days was, what? An audition?" Ianto asked with irritation. 

"You passed!" Jack said with a sheepish smile. “Martha is a big fan of you!” 

Ianto gave him a severe look. 

"I get it. You're mad. Are you going to punish me?" He winked at Ianto. 

"You're exasperating."

"Thank you!" 

Ianto rolled his eyes. 

Jack looked serious for a moment. 

"This is all very dangerous. I should have told you. But I needed to know that I could trust you. One person is already dead."

"Why did you come to us anyway? Sato isn't exactly first in the phone book."

"I did my research. I know about how you took down the London office of Torchwood. I know that Toshiko was a whistleblower too. You both seemed to have the politics, skills, and contacts for this."

Ianto's brain whirred. "So what exactly is Hart Industries doing?"

"Hmmm, this is quite a public place. Maybe we should continue this after dinner. Maybe somewhere more private?"

"Fine. But not tonight. Come to my office tomorrow." Ianto sighed.

"So just what are you writing about me?" Jack asked, looking at Ianto's notebook with mischief in his eyes. 

"I'm taking notes because this is a business meeting. I am questioning, my contract employer, about questions pertinent to my investigation." 

"You sure you aren't writing something like: 'Jack looks dazzling as usual. That grey-blue coat of his really brings out his eyes. I can barely control myself as I write. I want to throw myself at him and have him ravish me right here on the table.'"

"Careful, sir. That's harassment." 

"Well tell me you're not writing that."

"I'm not writing that."

"Liar." 

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Hi Mr. Pot, have you met Mr. Kettle? Can we focus?" 

Jack, with feline agility, reached forward and grabbed his notebook. 

"What the hell? You're not even taking notes!! This is just squiggles." 

"It's shorthand, sir." 

"You know shorthand?"

"Yes, I've worked in a lot of offices." 

"You just keep getting better and better. Seriously, do you have any idea how attracted to you I am right now?" 

"To be honest? I would say, mildly. Attracted enough to come up with ridiculously extra pick up lines to wrong foot me so I will stop asking you so many questions and just blindly do what you want."

"Oh, you are so wrong, Jones. I am incredibly attracted to you AND I want to wrong foot you so you stop asking so many questions. I contain multitudes." 

*********************

After they had finished dinner and left the restaurant Jack sniffed the air. 

“What a gorgeous night! Let me walk you home, where do you live?” 

“That’s… You don’t need to know that.” 

“No, but I would like to. Come on, the night is young. Don’t banish me from your side just yet. Give me the pleasure of a few more moments of your company.” 

Ianto rolled his eyes but found he didn’t have it in him to say no. The truth was he was enjoying being in Jack’s company. Over dinner the man had told him so many ridiculous stories of his travels over the years. They had laughed and flirted and Ianto had felt things he hadn’t felt since Lisa turned away from him. If he was honest, he didn’t want the night to end either. 

“Alright. I live in the office. It’s this way.” They started off in the direction of his office. 

“You… what?” 

“In the office, you know, where I work? With desks and computers?”

“I do know what an office is. But… I’ve been to your office. Where do you sleep? Do you just curl up under your desk like a neglected puppy?” 

“No, of course not! There’s a Murphy bed in the boardroom.” 

“Wait!” Jack put a hand on Ianto’s arm, stopping them on the sidewalk. “My first meeting with you took place IN YOUR BEDROOM!?!!” 

“It’s not my bedroom! It’s just a room. That happens to have my bed in it.” 

Ianto continued to walk.

“You’re splitting hairs, Jones.” Jack said as he caught up.

"I just sleep there because I can't afford rent anywhere else. It's more of a boardroom than a bedroom."

“Oh my god. If I had known that the boardroom was your bedroom, I would *not* have pushed to have our meeting at a romantic restaurant.” 

"The restaurant wasn't that romantic. It was just French." 

"It was sort of romantic?"

"It was a business meeting.".

"Well I like to mix business with…." Jack stopped short and grabbed Ianto's arm. "Run!" 

There was a man in a tan leather jacket headed for them. Jack pulled Ianto into an alley as they ran as fast as they could. Ianto heard several shots ring out which they dodged. They ran through the maze of alleys and finally came to a dead end. The man was closing in on them. 

When he was within speaking distance he said as he raised his gun at Ianto. "This ends now. Keep your nose out of our business."

He fired two shots but before Ianto could even think, Jack was shoving him out of the way and running into the path of the bullets. 

Jack went down and the man was out of bullets. 

"Stay out of this or we'll finish the job." The man growled and ran off. 

Ianto wanted to run after him but Jack was bleeding out on the pavement. He chose Jack.

"Jack, are you ok?" He sank to his knees and felt for a pulse. One of the bullets had ripped through Jack's heart. He was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you liked this chapter.


	6. The Impossible Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But Ianto, we have to talk about something else that's important."
> 
> "Yes?"
> 
> "You kissed me."
> 
> "I thought you were dead."
> 
> "I was dead. So, well spotted. But do you kiss every person who you think is dead?"
> 
> "Only the ones who come back to life." 
> 
> *****   
> Ianto discovers Jack's secret. They talk about Ianto's past.

Jack was dead. Ianto was momentarily paralyzed. He didn't know what to do. Jack’s boyish beautiful face was now lifeless, ashen and grey. 

"Jack." Ianto said mournfully with tears in his eyes. 

He gently stroked Jack's face. He knew he should call the police or Tosh or do something. But all he could do was look at Jack. 

"I never even got to kiss him." Ianto thought. It wouldn't have meant anything to Jack but it would have meant so much to Ianto. 

Suddenly the body, Jack, gasped and Jack sat up. He was completely alive.

"I’m sorry. I was hoping you would have to see that." 

Before he thought better of it Ianto lunged at Jack and kissed him. Jack tasted as good as he smelled. 

Jack reacted with surprise but then he kissed Ianto back. His tongue plundering Ianto's mouth. 

When they finally broke apart Ianto struggled to catch his breath. "What the actual fuck??"

"My thoughts exactly! Where did you learn to kiss like that?"

"You were dead! I saw you."

"Yes, I was. Your eyes weren't wrong. I can't die. Or I mean to say, I can’t stay dead. I die all the time. But this is really a conversation we should have in private. Can we go to your bedroom, I mean boardroom, to talk?"

"Ok." Ianto stood up and held a hand out to Jack to help him up. 

*****

"Can I get you something?" Ianto asked when Jack was settled at the conference room table. 

"Do you have something strong, like whiskey?" 

Ianto poured two glasses and sat beside Jack. Jack tossed his drink back. 

"I hate dying." 

"How many times have you died?"

"I've lost count."

"But how?"

"I have no idea. I know that I died once. I was dead. But someone brought me back. And now I can't stay dead." 

"So when you die, do you feel it? Or does everything just go dark?"

"I feel it. It fucking hurts." 

Ianto winced. "That sounds terrible." 

"Well… yeah it's not the most pleasant thing." 

Ianto thought for a moment. 

"They killed you too, didn't they? When Jonah died. Did you see who killed him?"

"I do enjoy how you keep up. Yeah, I went to meet Jonah but two masked men burst in. They got me first. They slit my throat from behind. I didn't see them kill Jonah." 

“Wait, if you didn’t see them, how do you know they were wearing masks?” 

“I… Oh? Yeah, I mean, I just said that for effect. It’s a better story that way.” 

Ianto gave him a side eye. Jack seemed addicted to lying. 

"Was he able to give you the information he wanted to share?" 

"There wasn't time. I don't think Hart's men could find it either though. I think they are still coming after us because the evidence is still at large." 

"We need to find it." Ianto said, almost to himself. "All our lives - well except yours - are in danger until we can make it public. I have a friend who can get us into Jonah's apartment. The documents must still be there."

"Do you have a contact in the media you could get it to? Someone you trust?" 

"Yeah, I have, my friend Lois Habiba who helped me break the Canary Wharf redevelopment scandal."

"Ianto, I wanted to say. I know I dragged you into this without giving you all the information. I… I wouldn't have done that if this wasn't important. The information in those documents is way bigger than you or me."

"Ok, I believe you. But it would just help if you didn't ration out information like it was expensive chocolate."

"Sometimes the less you know, the safer you are. Besides, I have read everything about Torchwood and you. I figured you would understand how harmful it can be to trust the wrong person with information." 

Ianto looked at Jack in alarm. He was referring to Lisa and how she betrayed him. She went straight to the partners with what Ianto was planning to leak. He had known she was still loyal to the Torchwood partners but he thought if he told her what they were doing then she would realize how terrible things were and help him. She hadn’t cared. In the end Torchwood’s head-start-damage-control hadn't been enough to stop the whole thing from falling down. But things got really ugly for Ianto and his heart was smashed to smithereens in the process.

"That was a low blow Jack." 

"I'm sorry. But for what it's worth, I think you acted admirably throughout the whole thing. You didn't know she would turn into a monster. And you didn't back down when she turned on you." 

Ianto remembered the screaming fights they had had where he tearfully pleaded with Lisa to stop what she was doing and join him in exposing Torchwood's crimes. He believed he could get through to her. He thought he could connect with her humanity and make her remember the compassionate and loving person she was deep inside. She had only lashed out and called him naive and weak. 

Ianto drained his drink as he tried to push Lisa's taunts out of his head.

"Well, she's a partner at a law firm that's even less ethical now pulling a seven digit salary and I'm a washed up PI who sleeps in my boardroom because I can't afford an apartment. So I dunno where acting admirably got me." 

"Oh God, did she join Dahlek Law Firm?"

"No, Scibermann Solicitors ended up winning the bidding war for her." 

"Well, you still have your soul, so I think you won." 

Ianto shrugged. He got up and brought the whiskey bottle over and poured each of them another glass. 

"To poverty and principles!" Ianto said, holding his drink up. 

"To Welshmen in well tailored suits with gorgeous soulful blue eyes!" Jack said as he clinked his glass with Ianto's. 

The alcohol was warming him up and instead of rolling his eyes Ianto smiled dreamily at Jack.

"But Ianto, we have to talk about something else that's important."

"Yes?"

"You kissed me."

"I thought you were dead."

"I was dead. So, well spotted. But do you kiss every person who you think is dead?"

"Only the ones who come back to life." 

"You mean there have been others?"

"It's just you Jack. It's only ever been you." Ianto fluttered eyelashes. 

"You're making fun of me now."

"You're an easy target." 

"Yeah, well you're…"

Jack looked at him. For a moment there was sadness, longing, and pain in Jack's eyes. And then it softened to another look. Adoration maybe. 

".... perfect." He finished. 

He leaned in and gently kissed Ianto, when Ianto moaned lightly he pulled Ianto onto his lap kissed him harder. 

Ianto could feel that Jack was as hard as he was. He ground himself into Jack's lap relishing the friction. Jack gripped Ianto's hips and pulled him up so he sat on the table. He was about to push Ianto back onto the table and mount him when they heard a key rattling in the front door. 

"Tosh!" Ianto said. 

“Oh for fuck sakes.” Jack groaned. “We probably shouldn’t be doing this anyway.” 

They separated and tried to make themselves presentable.

"Ianto?" Tosh called out. "Are you still up?"

"Oh he's up alright." Jack muttered. 

"We're in the boardroom." Ianto called out.

Tosh peaked her head in the door. 

"Oh no! I am so sorry! I didn't realize you had company. You must be Jack?"

Jack stood and held a hand out to Tosh. 

"I finally get to meet the famous Toshiko Sato! I am a fan of your work."

Tosh smiled shyly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to update Ianto but it can wait."

"Oh, no it's fine. I was just leaving. I don't want to interfere with my case! Ianto, please let me know when we can get into Jonah's apartment."

With that Jack grabbed his coat and glided out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I would love to know what you think. I hope the stuff with Lisa wasn't too on the nose.


	7. The Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You owe me a week of coffees for this one Jones.” She said clutching the coffee he handed her. “This isn’t strictly speaking my case.”
> 
> They headed into the building.
> 
> *******  
> Tosh, Ianto and Jack search for the evidence

"Oh my God, Ianto!! I am so sorry! I didn't know. Did I totally cock block you?"

"No, you're good. It wasn't smart anyway. He's a client." 

“Oooh! So you were getting up to something.” 

“Oh you know, we just snogged.” 

“Ianto Llwellyn Jones! You tart!” 

Ianto laughed. “So how far did you get with Dr. Grumpyants?” 

Tosh smiled dreamily. “We snogged too.” 

“Alright Tosh! Way to go! I am so happy for you. I knew he liked you.” 

“It is early days, I don’t want to jinx it. But yeah, I am so happy! But I didn’t come here just to tell you that.” 

“Right, I’ve got a lot to update you on too.” 

They sat down at the boardroom table. It wouldn’t make sense for Ianto to ask why this couldn’t wait till morning. This was them. They were always working late. Tosh was always running some sort of algorithm to make their job easier and Ianto was organizing their files or building their database. Their addiction to work was another thing that bonded them together. 

Tosh gave Ianto a rundown of her conversation with Owen and Ianto described the unbelievable   
twists and turns of his night. 

“He can’t die at all?” Tosh asked. 

“He says not. Well, he can’t stay dead. He dies a lot, apparently. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it myself with my own eyes.”

“Wow! Do you think he’s been alive forever? Does he wear those vintage military clothes because he actually bought them in the 40s?” 

“I have no idea.” 

“Well, I can see why he’d want to keep it a secret. But getting back to our case. What do you think Hart Industries is up to? What would be so bad they’d kill two or more people over it?”   
“It must be a piece of really invasive surveillance tech? What else could it be?”

“It’s got to be something like that.” Ianto agreed. “Can you come with us tomorrow to look for the evidence? Maybe you can bring some sort of scanner that would help us identify secret hiding places?” 

“Sure thing!” 

******************

Jonah’s apartment was in a seedy part of town. Ianto and Tosh stood looking at the crumbling brick of the exterior. Ianto held a tray of coffees in his hands. 

“Depressing isn’t it?!” Jack’s chipper voice appeared behind them. 

Ianto started and almost dropped the coffee. 

“Coffee, sir?” He said by way of greeting as he turned and held the tray out to Jack. 

“I would NEVER say no to your coffee Ianto.” 

Jack did a slightly less pornographic repeat of his appreciation of Ianto’s coffee that he had done at their first meeting. Tosh gave Ianto a look. He smirked and shrugged at the same time. 

Gwen arrived shortly after. 

"Tosh! So good to see you! I never did get to thank you in person for your help on tracking all those missing people to the trauma victims hospital on the island. Great work on that." 

"Oh, it was nothing. I was so glad to help." Tosh replied happily. 

Gwen turned to Ianto.

“You owe me a week of coffees for this one Jones.” She said clutching the coffee he handed her. “This isn’t strictly speaking my case.”

They headed into the building.

“But all the evidence has been collected, right? So then it shouldn’t matter if we look around.” Tosh said in a conciliatory manner. 

“Well you can tell that to my boss if I get disciplined. Except don’t because it wasn’t me that let you in.” 

“We can say we tortured you and made you let us in under duress?” Jack said suggestively. 

“Don’t think that would help your case, Mr. Harkness.” Gwen shot back. 

Gwen opened the door and they all walked in. “Right, I’m off then. Please lock it when you’re done and get me the key back.” 

Tosh set up her small scanner. 

“If you were a paranoid (though rightly so) whistleblower with vital information, where would you hide that information?” Jack said. 

“Is it paper or electronic? If it’s electronic, it could be anywhere, in anything.” 

"I wish I knew." Jack sighed.

Jack and Ianto started looking through the apartment. The carpet had been ripped up but there was a hint of a stain left. 

The apartment was drab and didn't really look lived in. 

"Did he rent this recently?" Ianto asked. 

"Yeah, after Carys kicked him out. She has no empathy, that woman." 

Ianto was about to object because Carys had struck him as incredibly empathetic when he figured out what Jack was doing. 

“She’s completely awful. Didn’t care about him at all.” He agreed. He looked questioningly at Tosh, subtly gesturing to her belt where she had the frequency scanner. It was subtly flashing a red light. She nodded. 

They continued searching. The apartment was sparsely decorated but Ianto had no idea what they were looking for. Ianto stood with a hand on his hip and the other scratching the back of his neck while he thought. There had to be somewhere, something obvious. He scanned the room from top to bottom. 

“Maybe he hid it in the wall?” He said as he went to the airduct vent and started to unscrew it. 

“That’s not big enough for papers, but it could be a flash drive.” Jack said. 

Ianto got the vent open and felt around inside. His finger brushed over a key. Of course! He subtly slid the key into his hand. 

“Darn, nothing there. I was hoping. Saw that in a movie once.” 

He stepped back from the vent and went to the desk. 

“What time is it anyway?” Ianto asked and reached into his pocket to drop the key and pick out his pocket watch. “Oh we haven’t been here that long. It feels like ages.” 

Jack gave him a very subtle eye roll that communicated “tone it down.” He shrugged and went back to looking. 

“I don’t see any secret compartments on my scanner.” Tosh announced after about twenty minutes of searching. 

“I’m really not finding anything here. But I really don’t know what we’re looking for.” Jack complained. 

“Why don’t we just call it a morning and get lunch?” Ianto suggested. 

***************************

Back at their office Ianto, Tosh and Jack all looked at the key. 

“Safety deposit box?” Tosh suggested. 

“I think so, it’s got a number on it.” Jack said. 

“Okay, so we assume they are watching us when we leave the office, right? Someone following us? How can we figure out which bank this is from? They’ll catch on if we start going to every bank.” Ianto reasoned. 

“Hmmm, let me scan it.” Tosh took the key. “Presumably each bank uses a different type of key? It might take me awhile but I can figure this out." 

Jack looked at his watch. "I have to meet my useless lawyer. Let me know when you figure out the bank? We can go investigate tomorrow if you know by then.” 

“I have to talk to more of the people on that list you gave me, but yeah, I can make time to go to banks with you.” 

“Great. And Ianto, I hope you will wear one of those fabulous suits." He winked at Ianto. 

"You make sure you wear that coat!" Ianto called after Jack's back.

Tosh was looking at him like he was a puppy. 

"What?" 

"You're adorable! I've never seen gooey loved up Ianto before." 

"Really Tosh? Have you looked in a mirror lately? You're just as gooey as me. You should see your face when you get a text from Owen." 

"We better be careful, we might be losing our edge."

"Speak for yourself. Jack doesn't strike me as a relationship or even more than a few days type of guy. Once he's on to someone shinier and newer I'll get my edge back. I might even revert to my teenage goth phase." 

Tosh laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is just a short little one.


	8. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto jolted awake. There was a pounding at the door. He looked at his pocket watch. It was 3 am. He fumbled to find some pants and went shirtless to the door. 
> 
> "You have no idea how glad I am to see you." A seriously bedraggled Jack said as he opened the door. "And not just because it should be illegal how good you look without a shirt."
> 
> ******  
> Jack arrives with a warning.

Ianto jolted awake. There was a pounding at the door. He looked at his pocket watch. It was 3 am. He fumbled to find some pants and went shirtless to the door. 

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you." A seriously bedraggled Jack said as he opened the door. "And not just because it should be illegal how good you look without a shirt."

Ianto pulled him in and locked the door. 

"Assuming you didn't just come here to hit on me?"

"Sadly, no. You need to get out of here.” Jack said, throwing his greatcoat in a corner. “Do you have a secure line to Tosh? Tell her to go somewhere safe and not to tell us where she is." 

Ianto grabbed his phone. "We have a code for that." He said as he typed a message to her. 

"What happened to you? Did they get you?" Ianto reached to touch Jack's shoulder. Jack flinched and Ianto immediately dropped his hand. 

"There's no time! They'll be here soon." Jack growled. 

And with that there was a crashing noise and a bottle with a flaming rag crashed through the window and shattered in front of Jack's feet and flames engulfed him immediately. 

Ianto was quick, he grabbed the duvet from his bed and lunged at Jack. The duvet covered him on the floor and Ianto hit all along the blanket to put out the fire. 

When it was out he looked at Jack's blistered body. Jack groaned in pain and gritted out. "I'm already healing. PACK. NOW." 

Ianto threw everything he could think of into a bag. Then he bundled Jack up in his coat and carried both his and Jack's duffle bags out of the apartment. 

Jack feebly reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a set of keys that he gave to Ianto. 

"Black SUV." He managed to grit out. 

Ianto found the car and bundled Jack and the bags in. He jumped in the driver seat and sped off.

"Safe house… 456 Thames Street." And then he passed out. 

***********

Tosh banged on Owen's door. She hoped she wasn't wrong about this and that he was actually alone. 

A groggy, grumpier than usual Owen came to the door.

"What the fuck, Tosh? It's 3:40, bit late for a booty call, innit?"

"Look, I don't really have time to explain but I'm in danger and I think that means you're in danger. We need to lay low for a bit. Can you call in sick for a few days?" 

Owen looked at her like she had lost it. But then shrugged. "Why not? Come in, I'll pack a bag. You got a place in mind?" 

"Yeah, I'll tell you on the way." She said as she followed him inside. 

"I swear to God, Tosh! If this is some weird foreplay role playing situation…?” He cocked his head and thought for a moment. “Well, actually, sure, that sounds fun I am up for that too."

**********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	9. Safe Houses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto tucked Jack's sleeping and healing body into the bed he just made in the safehouse. He leaned his back against one of the walls and slid to a sitting position. 
> 
> He thought about his office and how it was no doubt being ransacked this very moment. He was thankful that Tosh was such a tech wizard and that all their files were mostly electronic and their server was off-site.
> 
> ***************
> 
> Safe houses for physical and emotional safety.

Tosh pulled Owen's car into the hidden garage and closed the gate.

She gently shook Owen. "We're here."

"Where the fuck is here?" Owen grumbled. 

"Doesn't matter. It's safe. It's a safe house. I still have some friends at MI5."

"You worked at MI5?"

"I don't like to talk about it." 

"You're such a woman of mystery." 

They got out of the car and Tosh led them to the door of a cottage. 

"It's cozy anyway." 

She began to set up her computer. 

"There should be linen in the closet, can you make the bed in the bedroom?"

"On it." Owen called back. 

Tosh finished with her computer and then patched into the security network for the cottage to activate the alarm if anyone came near. She was debating running some other programs when Owen came up behind her and put his arms around her.

"Tosh, love. You need to sleep. You can worry in the morning. We're here, we're safe."

"Ok." She leaned back into Owen. 

In bed Owen spooned her and for the first time since she got Ianto's text, she unclenched.

"Hey girl," Owen said into her shoulder, "thanks for coming for me. You probably saved my life." 

"Mmmmm."

"Tosh why don't you talk about MI5? What happened to you there?" 

"They wanted me to dig up dirt on Ianto. They didn't know we were friends. Said something about how him trying to take down Torchwood would destabilize the government. This made no sense to me since Torchwood was outside the government. Ianto found evidence they were looking the other way when, and in some cases covering up the fact that, their clients were murdering holdout tenants in order to secure real estate in a gentrifying neighbourhood. So I leaked surveillance I had on the Torchwood partners. They transferred me to Bristol and then when no one cared anymore they fired me."

"Jesus. I hope the boring lout is greatful."

"Owen,” Tosh sighed, “Ianto is like a little brother to me. Just stop insulting him. Anyway, I never told him. I didn't want to put that on him. I didn't do it because he is my best friend. I did it because they drew a line in the sand and I wanted to be on the right side of history." 

Owen pulled Tosh tighter into his arms. "You're amazing. I have no idea why you like me." 

"Because beneath that grumpy exterior, you're a big softie." 

*************

Ianto tucked Jack's sleeping and healing body into the bed he just made in the safehouse. He leaned his back against one of the walls and slid to a sitting position. 

He thought about his office and how it was no doubt being ransacked this very moment. He was thankful that Tosh was such a tech wizard and that all their files were mostly electronic and their server was off-site.

"What a mess." He thought as he leaned his head back against the wall and fell asleep.

When Ianto fully woke up again he was lying in the bed with Jack nestled into him, his head on Ianto's chest. He vaguely remembered Jack coaxing him to come to the bed because the floor was so uncomfortable. He was just in his underwear as was Jack.

"You're awake!" Jack lifted his head off Ianto's chest. 

"Mmmmm. But how are you? Does it still hurt all over?"

"Completely healed." Jack reached for one of Ianto's hands and put it on his chest to feel. 

Ianto almost gasped at the smooth and suppleness of Jack's hairless chest. 

"Wow." 

"Tell me something, Jones. Does my fast healing ability turn you on?" 

Ianto blushed. Jack could obviously feel Ianto's morning erection.

"Not as such. It's more your chest and that cologne you wear. What brand is it and why does it do that?" 

Jack laughed. "It's called 51st Century Pheromones, it's by Boeshane. It has that effect on people."

"But also you have that effect on people."

“I do try. Is it working on you?” 

And then Ianto had to go and answer honestly.  
“Yes and no. Obviously I want you. Lying in bed like this with you, it’s… I want to do so many things to you. But there’s something not right about it. Like, this whole thing, it seems like a defense mechanism. The aggressive flirting, your ability to just get it on with anyone, is really to distance people from the real you. You’re always lying and always hiding.”

Wow Ianto, he thought to himself. You really know how to kill a mood.

“Are you a psychiatrist now? Are you going to analyze me? Are you going to fix me? Fix the sad loner who has sex with millions of people but never lets anyone see his heart?” 

“Am I wrong?” 

“No.” Jack said quietly. 

Ianto leaned his head on Jack’s smooth chest. He didn’t speak for awhile as he tried to marshall courage.

“I’m not trying to fix you.” Ianto sighed. “I’m far too broken myself for that. I don’t know if I can handle all of your defense mechanisms. Not when… I still think about Lisa and that betrayal too much. But Jack, I just want to know you. I want to get below the surface.” 

“Ianto, surface is all there is.” 

“Well whatever you say. I don’t have the cunning or the smarts to try to get under your skin. I disagree with you but I don’t want to fight you on it.”

He began to draw shapes on Jack’s chest with his finger. As he trailed it over one of Jack’s nipples it pebbled in excitement. Jack let out an involuntary moan. 

“But,” Ianto spoke tentatively, “Jack, this safe house, it’s like a pause button. I want to keep the outside world out. Just for a few moments. Could we do that?” 

“What are you suggesting?” 

“I don’t want anything long term from you. I don’t have the strength to try to talk you into something you can’t give me. But I think we both need physical comfort.”

He flattened his hand on Jack’s chest and began stroking. It was intoxicating. He wanted to touch every part of Jack’s body, he wanted to press his skin against Jack’s skin. He wanted to forget about thinking and just feel. 

“We could, you know, dabble. Just give each other pleasure and not think about what it means. Just whilst we’re here in the safe house.”

Jack moved so he hovered over Ianto, his arms supporting him on each side of Ianto’s head. 

“You want that? No strings, just sex?” 

“Yes. No strings. But not just sex. Intimacy, physical comfort. But only here.” 

“Right. I get it.” 

“Do you want that?” 

“Fuck yes.” Jack leaned in and kissed Ianto. 

Ianto opened up to him. He arched his back and pushed up to Jack who was pressing down on him. He felt contained. Safe. Like lying under a weighted blanket. Jack was just as hard as he was and started grinding against him. Ianto groaned. He had his hands on Jack’s back, digging into the flesh there with his close cropped fingernails. He thought, even if I break the skin, those little half moons from my fingers will be gone in an instant. Almost like I was never here. 

But he couldn’t think his morose thoughts anymore because Jack was sucking, almost biting, on his neck. The pain mixed with pleasure made him cry out and took him completely out of his head. He was all visceral, sensation. Jack turned them both on their sides and slid his hand down to their waists. He gripped Ianto’s boxers and pulled them off and then returned to kissing him. Ianto broke the kiss and leaned down to pull off Jack’s briefs. 

“Fuck you’re beautiful all over.” Ianto couldn’t help saying. 

Jack laughed. “So are you.” 

Jack skimmed a hand down and captured both of their cocks in his hand and began to stroke them at the same time. 

Ianto groaned, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. He had no thoughts now, it was all white hot pleasure as Jack stroked him. The friction with Jack’s own smooth cock made him feel like he was burning up. 

All too soon it was over as Ianto felt his body taken over by violent tremors as he came. 

Jack grabbed a cloth by the bed and wiped his hand and their bodies and then pulled Ianto into his arms. He rubbed his back and said words to him in a language he didn’t recognize. The tone was clear though. He was comforting and soothing Ianto. 

Later they lay in the bed, Ianto clinging to Jack, Jack clinging to Ianto. Jack said, “When you found out about Torchwood, the murder and intimidation, did you ever for a second think ‘this is bigger than me’ and want to give up?” 

Ianto thought for a moment. He couldn’t bring lies to this moment. “Yes. Especially when Lisa… She tried to talk me into just forgetting it all. Torchwood would have made both of us very rich if we just let it go. I didn’t care about the money. But I thought for a moment. ‘If betraying myself, all the people who risked their lives to get me the information, if that lets me keep Lisa, lets me stay with this woman I love, maybe? Maybe I should do it.’ I’m ashamed that I thought that. And anyway, she wasn’t Lisa anymore. Or maybe she was, maybe that was always Lisa. But she wasn’t the Lisa I thought I knew. That I loved.” 

“There have been times in this. Times when I just thought it was too much. I can’t die but all the people around me can. And they do. Because I can’t expose all these things and fix the world by myself. I’ve seen so many of them fall. Good people. People I loved. People I liked. All lost. And often it’s my fault. There’s always a cost to saving the world. Sometimes I think, why not just walk away? Just go climb mountains and be the longest living free solo climber because I can’t die. It’s a dumb fantasy. And I worry about that. Sometimes just not having to bear the weight of responsibility leaves me open to temptation. If I got offered the chance to trade giving up and letting the evil people win for the lives of my friends and lovers. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to say no.” 

"I found that… in the moment when it comes to a head. When you have to definitively make that choice, you find strength you never knew you had. You're very strong Jack. I know you will always make the right decision, no matter how horrible or how high the cost." 

“Yeah, the cost is high.” 

“I have a question for you though. You sought us out because of my past, right? Because of the Canary Wharf redevelopment scandal. But how did you know that I… well that you could seduce me. You showed up when Tosh was away. I had never told anyone about my sexuality before that day.” 

Jack laughed. “Did I seduce you? It kind of seemed like you were seducing me with your tailored suit and your amazing coffee. But no. Honestly I didn’t know. At first I thought it was massively bad luck on my part that Tosh wasn’t there. My original idea had been to flirt with her to get her to take the case. But then you opened the door… And I knew what I had to do…” 

“Was I really that obvious?” 

“Ianto, you looked at me like you wanted to throw me on the ground right there and rip my clothes off. Which, if I didn’t have a murder to solve, I would have been all up for that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Apologies about having a very short chapter followed by a much longer one.


	10. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto breathed in Jack's scent. He wanted to stay in their bubble forever. He realized he was naive to think he could mark out space and limit his feelings around it. He was going to walk out that door tomorrow wanting Jack just as much as he wanted him now. In those few hours, Jack had grown and expanded in his heart. There wasn't room for regrets and recriminations with himself about Lisa anymore.
> 
> ************
> 
> Tosh and Ianto get lots of help in retrieving the information

After they got up Ianto made breakfast from the variety of canned goods in the house. It killed him how terrible the coffee was but he said nothing. The pleasure of Jack's company almost made up for it. Jack had banished the serious mood of earlier that morning and was his usual chipper and flirtatious self. Ianto laughed, blushed, rolled his eyes, and mostly smiled at Jack's antics. 

Finally in the late afternoon, Ianto felt like he had put it off long enough and he contacted Tosh to check in. 

"How are you Yan? Did you get out in time?"

"Only barely. Jack was injured. But he's fine now. How's it coming with that key?" 

"I got a lock on the branch. I sent you the address just now. But Ianto? You are not going to like this. The bank the safety deposit box is in is right beside Hart Industries." 

"Fuuuuck! There's no way that they won't be watching that bank. They must have guessed we have something or they wouldn't have come after us. And they must know it wasn’t papers or a usb drive or the information would be out already. So I have to imagine that they'll be watching the bank in case the info is in a safety deposit box." 

"Yeah. I have an idea Ianto. Do you think Jack can act as a distraction."

"Ha!!" Ianto cackled. "Can he act as anything other than a distraction, is the question."

"Right." Tosh giggled. "Ok, tomorrow morning, you go get the safety deposit box and then we need a place to meet to hand it off. What's near there?"

Ianto looked at the address on his phone. 

"The Electro! My favourite movie theatre! It's two blocks away. It's perfect, dark, easy to do a handover. That will work. The first film of the day starts at 12 noon. So I will plan to get the deposit box at 11:45 and then go straight to the theatre."

"Great! Ok you and Jack sit tight. I will send you detailed instructions over the secure channel. Owen and I will get all the other players in place."

"Wait, Owen? Is he in hiding with you?" 

"What? He was asking questions about the two blood types and he had been seen with me. He was in danger."

"Get it girl! Good for you!" 

Tosh laughed. "It's been nice. Anyway, you stay safe and I will see you tomorrow!" 

After he got off the phone Ianto found Jack staring out the window in the bedroom. He came up behind Jack and slid his arms around Jack's waist. Jack immediately put his hands over Ianto's. Ianto leaned his head on Jack's shoulder. 

"Tosh found the bank. We go tomorrow." 

"So we have tonight to be here in this bubble." Jack said as he gripped Ianto's hand a little harder.

Ianto breathed in Jack's scent. He wanted to stay in their bubble forever. He realized he was naive to think he could mark out space and limit his feelings around it. He was going to walk out that door tomorrow wanting Jack just as much as he wanted him now. In those few hours, Jack had grown and expanded in his heart. There wasn't room for regrets and recriminations with himself about Lisa anymore.

And he knew that these hours hadn't changed Jack. He would still lie constantly and flirt with everything. He would still aggressively only present his surface to the world as if there wasn't anything else. He would flirt ridiculously with Ianto but keep himself and his heart far away and inaccessible.

But Ianto didn't regret his growing feelings or suggesting this bubble. Even if in the end it would further damage his bruised heart, it had been worth it for these few hours of happiness with Jack. 

"What would you say to a game of naked hide and seek?" 

"I'd say you're ridiculous. This is a four room house, where would we hide? But would probably still do it. Especially if you looked at me with those sparkling blue eyes and asked."

Jack turned around in his arms so that they were face to face. 

"You know? You have sparkling blue eyes too. But yours are so soulful. They are filled with all these emotions. The first time I looked into your eyes I knew you'd be good in bed. You keep your emotions close to your chest, but when I look in your eyes, I see them bubbling up. I see all the passions and pains you're trying to keep behind the mask of your face." 

Jack stroked the side of Ianto's face. 

"I've met a lot of people, but I haven't met anyone who has that mixed of shy and reserved and completely open and vulnerable at the same time." 

Ianto leaned in and kissed Jack and tried not to think about what the next day would bring.

************

Jack dropped Ianto off in front of the bank. He glided in and retrieved the safety deposit box with no problems. The box contained a small hard drive which he removed from its case and pocketed it. 

As he stepped out of the bank he noticed a man in a trench coat headed for him but then Jack collided with the man "by accident" knocking him over and Ianto ran up the nearest alley. 

There was a man in a leather jacket in pursuit but a woman dressed as a tourist who he recognized as Martha blocked the man and started asking questions. She held her comically large map up in the man's face giving Ianto time to duck into another alley. 

He made it into the Electro before the two additional men in leather jackets could catch up to him.

He walked up the aisle and subtly handed the drive to Rhys who was sitting by himself at the aisle. And he went to sit in the back to row beside Tosh who was already there. The two men in leather jackets entered the auditorium just as he sat down. He waited till the screen got bright and as obviously as he could whilst looking like he was trying to be subtle he handed the hard drive case to Tosh. 

Tosh moved to a new row where Gwen was sitting and handed a case to her. Then she moved to a new row where Martha, who had just entered, was sitting and also handed another hard drive case to her. Then Tosh moved to sit beside Owen and give him a hard drive case. And then finally she moved to sit beside Jack, who had come in with Martha, and gave him a case. 

Everyone waited ten minutes and then all of them except Rhys got up and left the theatre. Once outside they scattered in different directions. There were multiple men in leather jackets chasing all of them. Each one dropped their hard drive case to distract the man on them and got away. 

Once Ianto had slipped his pursuers he walked quickly to the rendezvous point when he noticed a different man than before in a leather jacket following him. He took another path to try to lose the man but as he walked by an alley he was violently pulled in and thrown face first against a wall by another leather jacketed man. 

"I don't have the drive anymore." Ianto said to the man. He hoped they wouldn't kill him simply out of spite 

"We don't care about that." The man hissed. 

He was joined by the first leather jacketed man who was talking into a cell phone.

"Car will be here in a few minutes." 

Ianto tried to struggle but the man held him in a vice like grip. 

"Boss said not to kill him. He wants to do the honours." The man said, putting his phone away. 

The two men tied his hands and feet and gagged him. Now there was no way he was going to escape now he thought as a mini van pulled into the alley. 

As they were shoving him into the van he heard a shout. "Leave him alone!" 

It was Martha. But she was too late. The two men were closing the doors and the minivan screeched away. Then one of the men hit him over the head and everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I would love to hear what you think.


	11. The Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They got Ianto." Jack's voice was flat. Tosh guessed it was taking his every effort to remain emotionless.
> 
> Jack looked at Tosh. "I promise you I will get him back. They don't care about him. He's bait. They're using him to keep me in line." 
> 
> “I know you will.” Tosh for once actually believed Jack meant it. 
> 
> ***********
> 
> The team plans how to rescue Ianto.

Tosh and Owen stood in Roald Dahl Plass. Tosh checked her phone. 

"Just heard from both Rhys and Lois. Rhys said Jonathan at the Electro helped him send all the files and Lois just texted to say she got them. She's going through them now. Hopefully Hart doesn't have hired goons in London." 

"Where's everyone else?" Owen asked. "Shouldn't they be here?"

"Gwen and Rhys are on their way and Jack, Ianto and Martha are supposed to meet up and drive here together." 

Just then Jack's black SUV drove up and Jack and Martha jumped out. 

Tosh's heart sank when she saw the grim expression on both their faces.

"They got Ianto." Jack's voice was flat. Tosh guessed it was taking his every effort to remain emotionless.

Jack looked at Tosh. "I promise you I will get him back. They don't care about him. He's bait. They're using him to keep me in line." 

“I know you will.” Tosh for once actually believed Jack meant it. 

She looked at her phone some more.

"When Gwen and Rhys get here we need to go to your safe house and go through the documents." She said to Jack. "They might have a clue to where they are keeping him." 

Jack's phone rang. He looked at the call display and angrily answered.

"If you so much as disarrange a hair on his head I will find you and torture you - in a way you won't like - and you will regret ever being born. Your fight is with me, leave him alone."

Jack listened and his face grew angrier.

"Not going to happen John. I told you when I left you, I am done. I'm never going back."

Tosh looked helplessly at Owen.

“That’s not…” Jack listened and then looked at his phone. “The little asshole hung up on me."

"What does he want?" Tosh asked.

"Besides to get back in my pants? He says if we release the materials about Hart Industries he'll kill Ianto."

Panic gripped Tosh. She held onto Owen’s arm. 

"Tell your friend to hold off on publishing the story till we come up with a plan." Jack commanded. 

******* 

Back at the safe house Tosh dug through the files on the hard drive whilst the others talked in the kitchen about what to do. 

"Oh my God! Gwen! Come look at this." Tosh called out.

"What is it?" Gwen and Jack rushed over to the computer.

"Remember that trauma hospital we found on Flat Holm? We thought it was just horrible things that happened to the patients whilst they lived on the street?"

"Oh no! They didn’t! " Gwen said with a hand on her mouth. 

"Hart Industries has been conducting illegal tests on homeless people, in conjunction with a company called The Pharm. They are trying to develop cybernetic implants for surveillance and remote communication. But they can't get them right and they seriously mess with the brains of the test subjects. Ten people have died. And there are thirty patients in, it says, a secret hospital. That has to be the one on Flat Holm!" 

"How could they?" Gwen cried. 

"That's probably where they have Ianto, the hospital." Tosh reasoned. “But just wait…” 

Tosh entered some commands on her computer. “Aha! There’s the hospital - it’s satellite footage boosted by CCTV - you can see the heat signatures of the patients - 30 of them - and the 5 staff we met there. But look - this space here, this was a tunnel that smugglers used back in the 1800s. There’s a bunch of heat signatures there too. That has to be them!” 

“We have to get Ianto out!” Gwen was almost hyperventilating. Rhys had joined them and he put a comforting arm around Gwen’s shoulders. 

"We have to release this information." Tosh said. "But we have to rescue Ianto too. There’s got to be something..." 

"Seems like the information is the priority." Owen had joined them as well. 

Jack gave Owen a death glare.

"I'm going for him. If something happens to me or you don’t hear from me in a couple of hours, release the information." Jack said.

"But that's what they want you to do." Gwen reasoned. "It's a trap."

"Of course it's a trap." Jack growled. "But I am still going." Tosh noticed a very subtle crack in Jack's voice. “I can’t just sit here. This is terrible. John is a loose canon. He could be doing anything to Ianto. I just can’t. Ianto is too good and principled. I can’t lose him. Not when we just… And I didn’t…. I can’t lose another person on my watch.” 

“It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” Tosh said as she rubbed Jack’s arm comfortingly. “I have an idea that will let us rescue Ianto and get the information out at the exact same time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy it. Just two more chapters left! I intend to post both tomorrow since the last chapter is quite short.


	12. Flat Holm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The man came around to stand in front of him. He was medium height and skinny with an angular face and high cheekbones. He was dressed in a red coat with white braiding on the front. It looked vaguely Napoleonic. He and Jack must have bonded over their love of historical military uniforms. This had to be John Hart.
> 
> ***********   
> Ianto has been captured by John Hart

Ianto woke with a start. Someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him. Then it came back to him. The men in leather jackets, the van. 

He was tied to a chair in what looked like a concrete bunker. 

"Oh look, Eyecandy is awake." Said a sarcastic voice behind him. 

The man came around to stand in front of him. He was medium height and skinny with an angular face and high cheekbones. He was dressed in a red coat with white braiding on the front. It looked vaguely Napoleonic. He and Jack must have bonded over their love of historical military uniforms. This had to be John Hart.

"Can see why he likes you. Such a cute little meddling idiot, it's a shame that the implants mess up the subjects’ faces. We haven't been able to find a way to fix that. Not that it will matter much seeing as how you won’t survive. But it will have to be a closed coffin funeral." 

“Your attempts to scare me aren’t working. You’re not very impressive, you know. And I have no idea what you're talking about." Ianto replied.

John looked momentarily surprised and then laughed. "Oh Eyecandy. So you are risking your life and, let's be honest, since you're here, dying because of this information. And you don't even know what the big secret is? That's a good one!" He continued.

"I trust Jack."

That made Hart laugh even harder. "I was told you were smart, Eyecandy. You trust Jack? Wow. That’s really… you’re really stupid. I mean, very hot, but not much upstairs."

Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Well, since you're pretty, I will tell you. We've been testing cybernetic implants. They don't work. They've gone horribly wrong. If I'm honest it was a pretty dumb idea to begin with. But, oh well." 

“Did you tell Jack not to release the information or you’d kill me? Oh, you did, didn’t you? Now who’s the idiot? You know Jack. You know him much better than I do. You know he’s not going to hold back on releasing the documents. No one means that much to Jack. Certainly not someone he just met. Saving the world always comes first. That’s why he’s not with you anymore.” 

Hart looked stunned, Ianto could tell his words cut deep. John punched him hard leaving a gash on his cheek. But the movement shifted Ianto’s arms so he had access to his pocket. He reached in and found his small pocket knife.

“I offered him a chance, did you know that? Probably not. I doubt he was honest about that. I offered him the chance to come back to me. For us to live on that good Hart Industries money and have fun like we used to. He told me to fuck off. So I slit his throat. Multiple times. I waited till he came back to life and did it over again a few times. Just out of spite. I’m sure he didn’t tell you that. Did he say they got him from behind and he didn’t see his attacker? He’s a liar and he’s always going to be a liar.” 

“Of course he’s a liar. I don’t care. He’s on the right side. And that’s good enough for me.” 

“I hate naive people” John sighed. “You’re just no fun at all.. Jack used to be fun. We had so many adventures, conning people out of their treasured possessions. Neither one of us needed the money, it was just a good time. A thrill. He’s so booooring now.” 

Ianto rolled his eyes again. He was subtly working on the rope around his wrists. 

“But you know what, Eyecandy, I do know him better than you. Saving the world comes first but he loves being a hero. That’s his fatal flaw. He’s going to try and rescue you. That’s what he does. He won’t release those documents until he’s at least given it the old college try. Which, like fair enough, I have seen your butt in that suit.” 

John leered. Ianto glared.

“But it’s going to take him awhile to find this place. Jonah didn’t have access to the address so it wasn’t in his documents. By the time he finds us and tries to rescue you, we’ll have figured out how to spin the story. And then no one will care. And I’ll have you *and* Jack. You probably won’t survive the implant process which is too bad because you do have a really nice ass. But sacrifices have to be made for science. I’m sure you agree Eyecandy.” 

Ianto glared at him.

“But Jack! Jack will survive. We can try all our most invasive implants that kill the subjects right away. And he won’t die. He’ll just keep coming back, again and again. I am so going to enjoy killing him over and over again for the rest of my life. I'm going to have to have children now so I can teach them how to kill Jack over and over. It will be a fun family bonding exercise." 

Ianto sawed faster at the rope on his wrists. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do when he got free but anything would be better than listening to Hart pontificate. 

“You’re pathetic.” Came that beautiful American accent from another part of the room. “We broke up four years ago. Why are you still obsessed with me? Get over it.” 

Shock spread over John’s face he wheeled around to see Jack smirking at him as he leaned against the wall. Ianto took advantage of the distraction to throw the rope off his wrists and start working on freeing his legs.

“How did you get here so soon?” 

“Did you really kidnap homeless people for your experiments? Did you think no one would notice the large numbers of missing people? That was incredibly stupid. Even for you.” 

“We picked people no one cares about. There was no outrage. We could do our experiments in peace.” 

“Well, maybe not publicly. But the shelter workers noticed. And they put a lot of pressure on one copper with a heart of gold and a very sexy gap tooth. And she connected with the most brilliant hacker who ever lived. And well, they found your little trauma hospital months ago.” 

“Well good for you. But you know what, Captain Bleeding Heart? No one is going to care. No one made a big deal when we kidnapped all those people and no one will care when they hear what happened to them. People like their comfort. They’ll be happy they can spy on their neighbours and won’t think for a second about how people died or were maimed in the process of getting them their tech. People are idiots and they have no compassion. That’s the world we live in, Harkness. You’ll see. I am right. Those stupid morons will line up to buy my tech.” Hart said. 

“I think you’re wrong. But even if you’re not. People don’t like being called idiots with no compassion or stupid morons. I think you should apologize to the people John. Maybe if you’re really sincere they will forgive you?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Well, so, my friend - really she’s more Ianto’s friend, but I hope she’s my friend too - I mentioned that she’s quite brilliant. Anyway, she figured out how to make surveillance tech without torturing innocent people. She made these contact lenses that record everything! They even have lip reading capability. So cool! And also just in case, I’m wearing a wire. So we’re beaming a signal out live right now. Why don’t you say a nice hello to the people you were just insulting.” Jack was laughing now. 

At that moment Gwen and a SWAT team burst into the room. 

“All the foot soldiers are secured.” Gwen said. “Most of them gave up without a fight and agreed to testify against Hart.” She looked at John. “Do you really refuse to pay them overtime and not give them benefits? It’s a really physical job, they get hurt a lot and you just fire them if they’re injured. They all really hate you.” 

“Tosh, you can cut the live stream.” Jack said to his wire.Then he rushed over to Ianto who had just finished freeing his legs and was standing up. 

“Jack! I didn’t think….” He couldn’t finish his sentence because Jack was on him and planted the most intense kiss on his mouth. Ianto almost fell backwards. But righted himself and kissed Jack back with everything he had. 

“I wasn’t going to leave you behind. I’m never going to leave you behind Ianto Jones.” 

“Hey Jack!” Hart called out as he was being led away in handcuffs. “Here’s something for you from me for nothing. You might want to follow the money.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Only one more (very short) chapter!


	13. Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto yawned and stretched. The morning sunlight was streaming in through Jack’s large bedroom window and everything had a luminescent golden glow about it. Jack was lying naked on his front spread out on the bed. His skin, which normally looked good, was positively glowing.

Ianto yawned and stretched. The morning sunlight was streaming in through Jack’s large bedroom window and everything had a luminescent golden glow about it. Jack was lying naked on his front spread out on the bed. His skin, which normally looked good, was positively glowing. 

Ianto’s mind drifted back to the night before. After he and Jack had given their statements about what happened and they were released to go, Jack had demanded that Ianto come back to his house. 

“Jones, look, I just can’t let you out of my sight right now.” He’d said matter of factly. 

Ianto was not about to argue.

Jack’s house was predictably decorated with vintage furniture, mostly from the 1940s. He was very consistent in his aesthetic apparently. Not that Ianto had seen that much of the house. Jack had pulled him up to the master bedroom before he could really look around. 

Before Ianto really registered what was happening he and Jack were fully naked and kissing on Jack’s bed. There was an urgency in both of them. Ianto needed to feel alive. Needed Jack’s lips and tongue so chase away all the thoughts he had of dying in a cold concrete bunker. 

Jack was both insistent and gentle. He lavished every inch of Ianto’s body with care and attention. Ianto did the same with Jack. In the safe house, their passion had been quick but furtive, like moments stolen before an impending disaster. Here in Jack’s bedroom, on his king sized bed, there was time. There was space. They learned each other’s bodies. Took note of every freckle and every scar. 

And then they had collapsed, cocooned in each other’s arms, and fell asleep immediately. 

Ianto contemplated getting up but Jack’s warmth beside him and the sunlight fixed him in place.   
Jack must have felt Ianto’s movement and he stirred as well. 

“Did you sleep okay, ‘Eyecandy’?” Jack laughed.

“Oh don’t you dare!” Ianto smacked him with a pillow. 

Jack batted the pillow away and pulled Ianto into his arms. 

“That wasn’t my finest hour, when I was with him, you know? I was working through a lot of stuff and he was a good distraction.” 

“It’s fine Jack. My ex works for an evil law firm and has no morals what so ever. So we’re even.” 

“Ianto, when he took you. I… I was frantic. I couldn’t even think. I know what you said in the safe house. And I want to respect your feelings. But I just can’t make this a casual thing. You worked your way into my bones. I guess what I’m asking is if you want to extend our bubble? Maybe just see where this thing goes. Thinking I had lost you made me realize how much I want you with me.” 

Ianto looked at him in surprise. “I do Jack. It’s not casual for me either. I knew how stupid it was to propose that after I spent a few hours with you.” 

“I can’t promise that I won’t keep things from you. Or that I’ll stop flirting with everyone. But the flirting isn’t serious. I want to try being with you.” 

“I’m all in, Jack.” 

Jack pulled him into a kiss. It was a slow and leisurely one, like they had time to make it last. 

Ianto’s phone rang. 

“Oh, this is Tosh. I am sure it’s important.” 

Jack looked a little crestfallen. “It’s fine, we’ve got lots of time to get back to… that.” 

“Ianto? Put me on speaker, I need to talk to both of you.” Tosh said gravely. 

Ianto put the phone on speaker, his heart in his mouth. 

“Hi Jack. Okay - I traced the money for Hart Industries. Turns out John Hart didn’t get a big payout from the Time Agency like we thought. Or maybe he did, but that’s not the money he used to found the company. That came from somewhere, or should I say, someone else. And his name is Gray Thane. Is that any relation?” 

Ianto gasped. “Jack isn’t that…” 

The words died on his tongue as he looked at Jack. Jack was white as a sheet like he had seen a ghost. 

“He’s my brother.’ 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this work. I know it ends with a bit of a cliff hanger. I thought I'd leave it open in case I had an idea for a sequel.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked the first chapter.


End file.
